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Thursday, April 7, 2005
Alicia Keys and John Legend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some of the things that distinguish Alicia Keys and John Legend in the world of R&B, weren’t, surprisingly, what they focused on during their sold-out, two-night stand at the Fox Theatre. See photos from the first night of the sold-out show.
They’ve both played piano since they were in their single digits. They don’t typically show their abs. And they’re almost steadfast in their adherence to the sounds of ’60s and ’70s soul music. But you might not have picked up on those things if the Fox shows were your first exposure to the pair.
In her interesting — if not always great — performance, Keys put on a ’30s-style Cotton Club show very different from her three concerts in Atlanta in the past year. And she deserves credit for trying something new. As a mainstay on urban contemporary, pop and adult-contemporary radio almost since her debut four years ago, she could easily just keep playing her hits. But Keys, in exceptional voice, skillfully melded her material with such jazz and big band standards as “Good Morning Heartache,” “I Put A Spell On You” and “Fever.”
A check in the plus column.
The crowd on Wednesday actually cheered when — four songs in — she finally walked to the piano. But surely those applauding couldn’t have felt rewarded at the end of her 90-minute set, when her saxophonist had spent more time showing he can play than she had.
Also, it’s a little disappointing that the woman who earned a history-tying five Grammys for her classy debut feels the need to mimic the skin-baring, behind-shaking model of many of her peers. But there she was during “Heartburn,” her almost-bare back to the Fox audience, doing her best Beyonce.
Come on, this is the so-called “next Aretha”?
Now, about the “next Stevie Wonder:” In his first major Atlanta appearance since the December release of his debut, Legend didn’t spend much time showing off his classical training either.
Instead he used his too-short set to flesh out his album’s intricate beauty with a DJ and five-piece accompaniment. It was a choice that served him particularly well on the lovely, samba-like closing of “Ordinary People.”
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